1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector for connecting a balanced electric signal carrier cable to a jack of its associated apparatus. Especially the invention relates to a connector for connecting an audio or video signal transmitting cable to a corresponding jack of audio or video equipment.
2. Acknowledgement of Prior Art
Conventional connectors used for connecting audio and video cables to the associated equipment frequently comprise a cylindrical member for axial connection with the balanced cable at one end. The other end of the cylindrical member has a pin connector coaxially located within a sleeve connector. The pin engages in a socket of the audio or video apparatus and the sleeve connector is forced over an upstanding cylindrical flange of the apparatus to form a second connection. The sleeve connector expands slightly to force fit over the cylindrical flange to make a firm connection. The socket of the apparatus is surrounded by the cylindrical flange of the jack into which the connector plugs.
Problems have been encountered in providing a firm, durable socket connector which does not tend to become less reliable as it ages. Many of the existing socket connectors may distort with age so that they do not fit so closely around the cylindrical flange of the audio apparatus or the material from which they are formed may lose some of its resilience so that the socket connectors do not grip tightly around the flange of the audio apparatus.
Various attempts have been made to mitigate the tendency of the socket connector to loosen or distort with time.
Frequently the socket connector comprises a cylindrical socket having a number of axially directed slots dividing the socket into a number of finger-like projections which provide for the necessary resilience in force-fitting the socket connector over the cylindrical flange of the audio apparatus. The depth of the slots between the fingers and the number of slots influences the ease of expansion of the socket connector and its longevity.
It has been proposed, for example, in the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,897 to Lee et al. and issued Jun. 12, 1990 to locate the slots angularly so that they are parallel one with the other but not with the axis.
All these previous connectors having finger segmented socket connectors for force-fit over an upstanding flange of the corresponding jack of related equipment suffer from loosening of the connector with continual use. The fingers tend to permanently bend outwardly to enlarge the size of the socket. Even the connector of U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,897 may suffer distortion with age.